EC to consult PM Yingluck on election postponement

[webfact]

EC to consult PM on election postponement



BANGKOK: -- The Election Commission (EC) may consult the government to consider postponement of the February 2 election if it could not go ahead with the registration of party-list candidates which will last on Friday.

EC opens the registration for party-list candidates from Monday to Friday.

But the first day of registration was held amid disorders and protests, forcing many parties to file complaints at the Din Daeng police station and the Crime Suppression Division instead of at the Bangkok Youth Center (Thai-Japan), the official venue for registration declared by the EC.

Speaking to Spring News Channel’s “Inside Thailand” program this morning, EC commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said that election officials tried desperately to convince protesters for permission to enter the registration venue at the youth center.

They were not allowed and therefore the EC has advised them to lodge complaint with the Din Daeng police station to book their arrival times, he said.

But he said the EC insisted on holding the registration until Friday even though registration could not be made due to the blockade by protesters.

He said all evidence would be gathered.

The commissioner said that shifting the venue site for registration was not difficult but the question was whether this would end or not.

He said that if the EC could not conduct registration of party-list candidates, then it would certainly affect the whole election process including the February 2 election.

EC might consult the government whether it wants to put off the February 2 election, either on a short break and long break, and use the break to do other activities instead.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/ec-consult-pm-election-postponement/


-- Thai PBS 2013-12-24

[bigbamboo]

Time for another Skype session then.

[Spare]

"The commissioner said that shifting the venue site for registration was not difficult but the question was whether this would end or not."

Shift it to Udon or Chiang Mai.

Better still, register via Internet. Scan all your doc and upload it, just like Thousands of student register for their exams every year. This clearly is a reform.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Spare

[Nowhereman60]

The EC got to get some balls and think outside the box. Many options available including moving to a location outside of Bangkok, doing registration online.

[seajae]

the EC has to abide by the governing laws and do as those laws state, oh wait, the ptp and thaksin are involved, so they can do as they please and ignore the laws totally.

[naidraw66]

If condidates cant get to their respective registration locations then make the Thai police and security forces do their job and secure these locations. Any attempts by the demonstrators to cross these lines should be met with whatever force is necessary to show these people that criminal activity will not be tolerated and if they partake in such activities then they must accept the consequences of their actions.

[Scamper]

For those that are wondering about the apparently increasing malleable nature of the laws here, there is light at the end of the tunnel of understanding. There actually is no real application of the law here ! The laws are only enforced when convenient, or as a result of a lot of string-pulling. I'm afraid that's the reality of it. Thailand is embracing the ASEAN community in 2015, but the sad fact of it is - as far as the application of laws is concerned - it's firmly but comfortably in the eighteenth century. So laws - when inconvenient - are ignored. Or given a new spin. Or are simply changed, and then given a new spin. And so it goes. As it happens, application of the law in this instance is terribly, terribly inconvenient. We all know what that means. They'll find a way out of it somehow. And that's what they are in the process of doing. As a matter of fact, both Yingluck and the EC have been quite consistent in their stated point of views on this. They simply disagree with each other ! Yingluck and PTP ( and Thaksin, of course ) want this election to go through - through hell or high water. And that's exactly what will happen, if it does. So they will bend. They will change. And all of a sudden, all parties will come to the realization that postponement is indeed the path towards less conflict.

[ramrod711]

The police did nothing in 2010, and they're doing nothing now. Tarit, on the other hand is very busy, checking film so he can prosecute those lawbreaking whistle blowers. Yingluck doesn't dare ask the army for help, that didn't work out so well for Abhisit. Perhaps it wouldn't turn out so badly this time, no rogue general to organize his own strike force for these protesters.

[Nibbles48]

If condidates cant get to their respective registration locations then make the Thai police and security forces do their job and secure these locations. Any attempts by the demonstrators to cross these lines should be met with whatever force is necessary to show these people that criminal activity will not be tolerated and if they partake in such activities then they must accept the consequences of their actions.

You have to be joking mate.

Now that would cause tens of thousands to go straight there and would turn into a mayhem of violence. You really thing YL and the EC want the world to watch that happening?

No matter how much force they put onto the protestors, they will never back down.

Your thinking is far too simplistic.

[Thailand]

Mob rule seems to be the order of the day.

The police,security services etc do not seem to have the balls or the inclination to uphold any laws,serve arrest warrants etc.

Indeed, a very sad time for Thailand.

[Yunla]

The danger is that the more postponements we have, and the more lawless it gets, the more damage is done, the harder the inevitable authoritarian jackboot will finally come down in response.

This response including the long awaited internet lockmode, new laws against speaking out against the new regime, in the interests of preventing the carnage we may be seeing in 2014. Depending on the damage done next year, also the IMF mega-debt option, joining the global slave-galley pulling the oars onboard that particular fiscal prison-ship. Again, inquiring minds wonder about how much of all this was pre-planned.

In the interests of Thailand's prosperity and security, Suthep should accept the Feb elections and let the people decide. Yingluck should not have to consider calling elections again, the Feb date was perfectly reasonable and it is not the problem.

The Dems should lobby for greater powersharing in Parliament, or at least to get their own house in order and put forth policy suggestions and use all legal tools to make sure their views are given a fair hearing. Ideally stronger regulation inside parliament and also in state-level fraud, and in business and police etc. too.

[Spare]

If condidates cant get to their respective registration locations then make the Thai police and security forces do their job and secure these locations. Any attempts by the demonstrators to cross these lines should be met with whatever force is necessary to show these people that criminal activity will not be tolerated and if they partake in such activities then they must accept the consequences of their actions.

You have to be joking mate.

Now that would cause tens of thousands to go straight there and would turn into a mayhem of violence. You really thing YL and the EC want the world to watch that happening?

No matter how much force they put onto the protestors, they will never back down.

Your thinking is far too simplistic.

Really? Only back in 2010. When the army start sending in tanks, in the MORNING, killed a few reds shirt (PLUS the Italian journalist), the protesters almost immediately dispersed by NOON.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Spare

[tingtongteesood]

If condidates cant get to their respective registration locations then make the Thai police and security forces do their job and secure these locations. Any attempts by the demonstrators to cross these lines should be met with whatever force is necessary to show these people that criminal activity will not be tolerated and if they partake in such activities then they must accept the consequences of their actions.

The problem with this is that somebody might get killed and Yingluck is shit scared that if somebody is killed by the police then she may be pulled in on murder charges, same as Abhisit and Suthep. She doesn't want that to happen. She backed herself into this corner by bringing these bogus charges trying to strongarm them into agreeing to the bs amnesty to whitewash the crimes of her brother and all his cronies. Now she is just holding out for 180 days to force through the amnesty and nobody can stop it. She must be removed before that can be allowed to happen or else the country will be forced to suffer more mismanagement at the hands of the Shin regime's fascist dictator...

[Ulic]

The EC caving in to Suthep? Is it because of money or intimidation?

[SICHONSTEVE]

Mob rule seems to be the order of the day.

The police,security services etc do not seem to have the balls or the inclination to uphold any laws,serve arrest warrants etc.

Indeed, a very sad time for Thailand.

They are not a mob!!

All they are doing is attempting to protect democracy in Thailand by removing the Thaksin clan from politics.

[SICHONSTEVE]

The EC caving in to Suthep? Is it because of money or intimidation?

Neither!!

It is because they can see the extent of anger being displayed by normal people disgusted by Thaksin's continued involvement in Thai politics.

This election achieves nothing other than to inflame matters - The Pheu Thai party could have eased the situation, but no!! What did they do? they made Yingluck number 1 party list MP. How stupid could they be. Well, as stupid as the Pheu Thai party I suppose!!

[Baerboxer]

The EC caving in to Suthep? Is it because of money or intimidation?

Or how about because they recognize that reform is really needed prior to another election?

[Asiantravel]

Mob rule seems to be the order of the day.

The police,security services etc do not seem to have the balls or the inclination to uphold any laws,serve arrest warrants etc.

Indeed, a very sad time for Thailand.

They are not a mob!!

All they are doing is attempting to protect democracy in Thailand by removing the Thaksin clan from politics.

ermmm ............

where is the democracy in running riot around Bangkok for weeks and breaking into buildings and then proposing a group of unidentified people run the country who haven't even revealed their specific policies yet?

Edited December 24, 2013 by Asiantravel

[RickBradford]

Chuwit for acting PM.

That's him on the right.

Everyone thinks he is a clown, and for his part, he has no time for any of the mainstream politicians, so nobody can be any more angry about his appointment than anyone else.

Plus, Spot would make a better deputy PM than Surapong.....

[Valentine]

I have never made a hub post but here goes. The hub of smoke & mirrors.

[NongKhaiKid]

Consult YL, oh please !

[Spare]

Chuwit for acting PM.

That's him on the right.

Everyone thinks he is a clown, and for his part, he has no time for any of the mainstream politicians, so nobody can be any more angry about his appointment than anyone else.

Plus, Spot would make a better deputy PM than Surapong.....

Thanks for point that out. All along I thought he was the one on the left.

[Bluespunk]

Chuwit for acting PM.

That's him on the right.

Everyone thinks he is a clown, and for his part, he has no time for any of the mainstream politicians, so nobody can be any more angry about his appointment than anyone else.

Plus, Spot would make a better deputy PM than Surapong.....

I'm betting all those who suffered sexual exploitation at his hands might be quite angry.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Mob rule seems to be the order of the day.

The police,security services etc do not seem to have the balls or the inclination to uphold any laws,serve arrest warrants etc.

Indeed, a very sad time for Thailand.

They are not a mob!!

All they are doing is attempting to protect democracy in Thailand by removing the Thaksin clan from politics.

ermmm ............

where is the democracy in running riot around Bangkok for weeks and breaking into buildings and then proposing a group of unidentified people run the country who haven't even revealed their specific policies yet?

Removing something that is undemocratic must enhance democracy!!

They don't want to run the country - they want to reform a clearly flawed electoral voting system and then hold free and fair elections (with it being tainted by criminals such as Thaksin and his mob of cohorts).

[h90]

They have said over and over again that the election CANNOT be postponed legally. And now suddenly it can be? What the fuc_k is going on with the laws here? They get interpreted however suits the moment?

Well maybe it can't unless the man in Dubai says so.

[mgromov]

Sorry for the offtopic, but already almost for a month I'm trying to understand what's so bad about Thaksin or Yungluck and how Suthep is better and still can not get any idea about it... Could anyone please point to some articles on the matter?

[RubbaJohnny]

If just 25 seats do not get 20% turnout there will be no quorum.

If the incumbent Dems do not stand this may eventuate in the seats they hold

50 in the south

they have similar 26 +24 in Bangkok and Centre which other parties may win

The smattering about 13 in total in NE and North will easily be gained by the Red candidates with possible exceptions in Phichit,Buriram and Sophanburi where the old dinosaurs are capable of anything IMHO.

This will lead to an impasse.As before the reds could gain 400 or more seats the colaition allies 75 but still no quorum as in the constitution.

As to online candidate registration

Online voting is technically possible.

I am sure the "important' rich folks will arrange a convenient outcome here in amusing toyland.

Edited December 24, 2013 by RubbaJohnny

[samtam]

Oh that's interesting. Never heard of the 20% quorum requirement. Boycotting makes sense then if the Dems want to screw the election.

Edited December 24, 2013 by samtam

[northernjohn]

the EC has to abide by the governing laws and do as those laws state, oh wait, the ptp and thaksin are involved, so they can do as they please and ignore the laws totally.

What you say is correct.

How ever the EC does not have to have a spcific building to register in.

Not sure as it makes a difference or not when they hold it. The country will still be torn apart until people in power are willing to put the welfare of Thailand first. Willing to negotiate and abide by the decisions they arrive at.To date we have seen one party willing to do some thing but they had to have a gun to their head to come to that decision and their history looks more like they will ignore any other groups that have suggestions. Also they are insisting that they be in the P M office before they discuss any thing. It is indeed a sad situation for Thailand to be in.

[blaze]

And to add to the comedy- the commission entrusted to ensure elections in this baby wing democracy are trying to negotiate their delay' until Thyailand has acquired something no other country dares seek: utopia.

''

Stand strong YL- no violence- let the nutocracy burn itself from with in= and take down all those asskissers who think principle is something on a bank statement.

Edited December 24, 2013 by blaze